Thursday, November 1, 2012

I've been working on creating "notebooks" on springpad.com that I am hoping will allow me to better bookmark, organize, and share program handouts, websites, videos, voice recordings, files, and notes. I am hoping that the efficiency and features of this system will let me move away from Google Drive and Google Docs (which I usually embed in this blog).

The only minor limitation I see with Springpad so far is that to access the site, one's browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Apple Safari) has to be the newest version. However, from what I understand, one can email a "spring" (bookmark etc) from one's email in an older internet browser (on public computers etc) and this will be added to one's Springpad notebooks.

I also like that Springpad has mobile app (iOs and Android) capabilities and can bookmark and organize websites, notes, videos, and uploaded documents vs. Pinterest.com's picture only boards.

Let's try this and see how it goes ... Click on the link to access my brand new "My Library Programs" notebook -- remember to be in the newest version of one of the internet browsers listed earlier. So far there is a note called "Tales & Talk for 2s & 3s." Click on it to access an uploaded .pub and .pdf files of a recent program handout.

My original post asked what new ideas
libraries had for Summer ReadingPrograms. I did receive more requests for a
post than actual ideas,but hanks to all that responded. Guess it?s time to
put our thinkingcaps on! Some themes/trends I noticed:

1.
Instead of just Children?s and Teen programs, some librariesare breaking it
down into separate programs for babies, kids, tweens,and
teens.

2. Instead of just asking participants to read books,
librariesask participants to complete tasks, like write a book review,
orattend a library event.

3. More programs have an online
element. Some are offeringonline registration/recording, while other
libraries are taking it abit further with online activities.

1. Children birth to 18 come in and register between
June 1 and August 31.

2. The next time they visit they check in and
receive a free newbook and a packet of coupons.

3. They can
check in once in June, once in July, and once inAugust for a total of three
free books and coupons.

This program meets our two goals of (1) getting
people into thelibrary and (2) keeping kids reading all summer long. Last
summer wehad 1128 kids register and gave away 2010 books. Our city has
apopulation of 18,000. People come to our library from othercommunities
because the kids are so excited to get free books. I havecountless parents
tell me every year how happy they are that we giveaway books instead of
those gewgaws. The program works very well forus and I?d strongly encourage
other libraries to give it a try. Goodluck!

We
did the food theme this summer and we gave them "menus." For eachmenu k-4th
grade had to read 30 minutes a day and choose from apre-selected list of
activities; tweens had to read at least 50 pagesfor the week. When they
finished, they handed in their menu toreceive a prize. They were issued a
new menu for every week of theSRP.Next summer is a travel theme and I
don't know what kind of log theywill get, but we will stick to the weekly
thing because it was verypopular.

The
Adult Summer Reading program at Downey City ILbrary does BookBingo. Adult
patrons can fill out as many bingo cards during theprogram as they want, and
each one is put into a raffle. Themed giftbags (fun in the sun, BBQ, etc.)
are raffled off at the end. Eachtime a patron turns in a completed book
bingo card they get abookmark.

One great simplification we added two
years ago was reading logscounting days: kids check off each day they read,
not book titles, nottime, not book types or a reading contract.

At
one library I worked at previously and at my current job, wedid/do the
reading log for the kids, but then we had scratch-offtickets for the teens.
At my previous library, for each book theyread, they received a scratch-off.
Sometimes they won a prize (icecream coupons, mini-golf coupons, etc.) and
sometimes they didn't.Either way, they would fill out the back for a chance
to win the grandprize. They LOVED it!At my current library, we have a
reading calendar for teens. They keeptrack of their minutes and for every 5
hours they read they get aticket. I like this because it doesn't matter WHAT
they read, just howmuch. They can either win a prize, a book, another
ticket, or a grandprize entry.You can either order the scratch-offs from
an outside company like myprevious workplace did, or you can make your own,
like we do now. Weprint them on cardstock and attach the stickers to scratch
off. Youcan purchase these in big rolls.

Our summer reading format is
to set your own goal. They do write thebooks down in their log and bring it
back for the prize at the end,but it is not minutes or an arbitrary number
of books read. It reallyworks well... the reluctant readers seem more eager
to participate andthe avid readers set higher goals than I would set! We
encourage kidsto talk it over with their parents or teacher. We also let
kidsreevaluate if they set their goal too high...every year there
issomeone who sets a goal of 200 or more and realizes half way thru
thesummer that that is a lot of books!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Images are taken from Microsoft Clipart or Britannica Image Quest Database (http://quest.eb.com/) where pictures can be used for non-commercial, educational use. Otherwise, a website citation accompanies them.

Catherine says, "You are free to share this account with your students or quote from it as needed. We do not require that you ask us for permission in advance and there is no charge to use it. We have no wish to profit from 9/11 in any way."

She also encouraged me via email to share it with anyone who "may benefit" from it. Take a look ...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

For summer, we grouped the babies, toddlers, and preschoolers into this multi-age, early literacy program.

We asked the babies to sit in the front, and during the program, provided modified movements for caregivers to do for the babies. For example, for Wee Willie Winkie, we encouraged the parents to move the babies' feet and lift and lower them on "upstairs" and "downstairs."

I introduced the program by saying, "Let's have fun, be active, and get ready to read!"

I used an iPad to project a sun, a sunset, and a moon scene on a screen (via a VGA adapter and VGA cable) as we repeated Wee Willie Winkie and changed the time on a toy clock from 8 to 9 to 10 o'clock.

We used puppets/props along with physical/animal motions during Little Owl's Night.

I ended up using the cricket vs. grasshopper activity as my "waiting activity" -- waiting for everyone to come in and get settled before actually starting the program.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Waddaleeatcha Slap knees twice, clap twice
Waddaleeatcha Double scissor cross hands left over right, right over left
Doodleydoo Right hand touches right shoulder, nose, lands on left shoulder
Doodleydoo Left hand touches left shoulder, nose, lands on right shoulder
(Repeat)

Simplest song there isn't much to it
All ya gotta do is doodley doo it
I like the rest but the part I like the best goes
Doodley doodley doo
Quack! Quack!

Friday, July 6, 2012

First, let me say that in order to type this and all new posts, I have to access my blog in Google Chrome ... time to find a new way to share online ... How can I move the content of this blog into something more appealing and accessible? I've tried a wiki but didn't like that it was purely text oriented ... Anyway ...

So I'm reading Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery

Friday, June 15, 2012

I have worked on the Ohio Library Council Planning Committee for their Children's and Teens Services Conference: http://www.olc.org/CTSCFeatures.asp
Please take part in the "Swap and Shop" even if you are elsewhere in the States!

Communicating on the Librarians' Executive Board for our library's union.

Creating a list of (mostly free) Apple apps to use in Library Programming and am planning programs using the iPad (+ LCD projection potential) in programming.

Planning to bring back our music and movement age 0-6 programs this summer and hopefully in the fall.

I am also using iTunes University to take a "Programming Methodology" class by Standford University.

I'm still honing my communication skills as I work "on desk" throughout our 16 branch library system ... am looking at Patron Behavior in Libraries: A Handbook of Positive Approaches to Negative Situations by Beth McNeil and Denise K. Johnson and listening and taking to heart the information in Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John C. Maxwell.

Monday, June 4, 2012

It turns out that an allergy (to cashews? we'll find out after tests...)
has the ability to make this little girl stop breathing...Anaphylactic shock

How does Auntie Tat deal with the situation?
Biblio-therapy ... This book is actually simple and clear enough to work for the littlest ones:&amp;amp;amp;lt;A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=ss_ssw&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Flibrlearlead-20%2F8003%2Fb87f36d4-3183-4f58-a5b8-b665086ea309&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=NoScript"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;gt;

All this to say ... how important it is for little ones to be able to communicate ... how important to share words with little ones...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

I just saw a YouTube ad for the following book. Will explore to help plan financial literacy for children library programs.
Amazon.com Widgets
I would like to project and share the following eBook at a grandparent advertised/invited family library program.
Amazon.com Widgets

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

For an after storytime activity/extension, I will place those plastic capsules that have an animal shaped sponge inside into plastic water bottles with warm water (lid screwed on) -- one per bottle and one bottle per child.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

I worked at our "downtown" branch recently. After helping a middle-aged woman find some books on "recovery" and some religious music, she shared with me a personal story as well as the Cherokee tale about "the two wolves inside of me." ... another commonality of humanity -- the fight within us all ...

Friday, February 24, 2012

No sooner had I sat down in the "teacher's chair"
one Boy has something to say
"What is it?" I ask
"You're hot!!" he says, and gives me a hug
small Girl and big Boy both follow his lead
"Thank you. Nice to meet you . . . I'm Miss Hayley, and I'm from the Library..."

Dog's Colorful Day

(May 2010) Magnet Participation Technique

Please Note

Hayley McEwing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.